Moussa Diabate gets a reality check from former Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau

The Charlotte Hornets found a gem with Moussa Diabate. He has been one of the most consistent players on the roster over the past two seasons, which is a big deal for the Hornets, who need a center to pair with the promising perimeter players.

With LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges making their exits via trades, the Hornets are ushering in a new era. Thankfully for Diabate, he is part of that plan. There was a time when he was struggling to stick in the NBA, but he found a home in Charlotte. In fact, he did get some valuable advice before he was even drafted.

Moussa Diabate received valuable advice from former Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau

Diabate is a regular on the Hornets now, but he struggled early on in his NBA career. He was a consensus five-star recruit in the 2021 class, but he had a modest year with Michigan in the 2021-22 collegiate season. Despite that year, he declared for the 2022 NBA Draft.

Unfortunately for Diabate, he was only selected 43rd overall. It was quite late in the NBA Draft, but it seems he was warned ahead of time that he could have returned to Michigan for a second season. That advice came from former New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau during a workout.

MORE: How a veteran like Taj Gibson helped Moussa Diabate learn more about the NBA

It was some valuable advice because Thibodeau saw the potential in Diabate. However, he also saw that he was still quite raw ahead of the 2022 NBA Draft. Diabate did not follow Thibodeau's advice, so he had to work hard to prove himself early in his career.

"He told me, 'You know if you would have stayed at Michigan you would have been a 1st rounder.' I was like, 'Yeah, maybe, I don't know.' He was like, 'But you know by making that decision you probably took the hardest path.' When he told me that, it was like, okay, I get it, this is no joke, I really have to take it seriously," Diabate said on Make it to Midnight about valuable advice he received.

"So when he told me this, it was like, I don't know what's ahead, but it's gonna be hard. I better be ready. Great coach, a lot of experience, so I'm very thankful for that."

In hindsight, Thibodeau made some accurate statements because Diabate would have been a better prospect had he honed his game for at least one more year in college. However, it's hard to fault Diabate for declaring for the draft because it's his dream, and he was hungry to prove it at the highest level as soon as he can. Now, he has proven to be a reliable NBA player.

More NBA news:

• Brandon Miller gets realistic about what to expect from the Charlotte Hornets in the 2026-27 season
• Coby White has revealed that the Hornets teammates are getting along
• The Hornets have addressed the real reason behind the LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges trades
• Hornets GM Jeff Peterson gets honest about his thoughts on LaMelo Ball's departure
• Dennis Schroder loves what he has seen from new teammate Hannes Steinbach